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plum tomatoes in Buffalo NY area

Reserve seats for one-day gardening seminar in Buffalo, Amherst

  Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County will hold its one-day seminar called Communities in Bloom twice at different locations. The first seminar will be held from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2 at Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village, 3755 Tonawanda Creek Rd., Amherst. Register here for Feb. 2. The same seminar will be held again from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23 at Unitarian Universalist Church, 695 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo. Register here for Feb. 23. Topics will be: Landscape Design Do’s & Don’ts Garden RX, Prescription…

Jan 28, 2019
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Sully garden in Eden, NY

It’s OK to kill plants– Hear Zampini at PLANT WNY’s Education Day

  by Connie Oswald Stofko “It’s okay to kill plants.” When I heard Maria Zampini say that, I gasped. Loudly! I know what she means, but it does take your breath away to hear it stated so bluntly. Zampini, co-author of Garden-pedia: An A-Z Guide to Gardening Terms, will speak at PLANT WNY‘s daylong Education Conference on Friday, Feb. 1. She shared tips with me in a phone conversation from her home in the Cleveland area. Zampini always tells gardeners that your garden is yours, and you don’t need…

Jan 22, 2019
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serviceberry flower

Why you should plant Amelanchier & more tips from Master Gardeners

Amelanchier is a native shrub that is easy to grow, gets pretty flowers, produces tasty berries and helps pollinators. As Lyn Chimera said in an article from January’s WNY Gardening Matters, what’s not to like? You can find more details here in the article on Amelanchier, also known as serviceberry, juneberry or shadbush. Also in this month’s issue are: An article discussing how some cultivars of native plants, also known as nativars, don’t support insects as well as the native plants…

Jan 20, 2019
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Lumagination at Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens

‘Magic of Air’ is theme for Lumagination; kicks off Friday, Jan. 25

See how breezes add energy to a garden with “The Magic of Air,” this year’s theme for Lumagination at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. The exhibit will kick off with the Lumagination Launch Party from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25 at the Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. Guests will enjoy music, cocktails, wine, beer, glow surprises, a raffle and Nitro Magic ice cream. Launch Party tickets are $50. An exclusive VIP party will be held at the Launch Party…

Jan 20, 2019
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wild bergamot from Ken Parker

Gardening trend for 2019 in Western New York: native plants

  by Connie Oswald Stofko Expect to hear more about native plants in 2019. A new group called the Western New York Native Plants Collaborative wants you to use more native plants in your garden, and there are lots of reason why you’ll want to use them. The collaborative is working on an education campaign to get gardeners excited about native plants and to encourage growers and garden centers to offer more native plants. The WNY Native Plants Collaborative includes…

Dec 18, 2018
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bee with pollen on flower

Last issue for 2018; look for more gardening tips for WNY starting Jan. 22

by Connie Oswald Stofko I’ve enjoyed being able to bring you great gardening articles in 2018. We’ve shared gardening tips, learned about new pests, viewed wonderful photos and videos, discussed plant choices, and kept up to date on garden walks and other events. I’ll be taking a break, then will return Jan. 22 with more articles for you as you plan for the coming season. Until then, you can go our website to check out past articles. You can use…

Dec 18, 2018
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trees on creek in autumn in Amherst NY

DEC awards grants for trees & more in Western New York

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has awarded grants for tree and other projects in Western New York. Urban forestry grants Urban forestry grants are part of DEC’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, which helps communities develop and implement comprehensive tree planting, management, maintenance, and education to create healthy forests while enhancing quality of life for residents. These programs promote clean air, clean water, energy savings and wildlife habitat creation. Find out more about the urban forestry…

Dec 18, 2018
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flowers and vegetables in front yard

4 tips on using containers to create a gorgeous garden

  by Connie Oswald Stofko Previously I showed you my experiment with a container garden on my front lawn. That container garden wasn’t as successful as I had hoped, but I learned a lot and tried it again. This time it was successful and my neighbors told me they loved it, too! It didn’t look like much in May or June, but in July the plants filled out and it was gorgeous. We had a mild autumn, and the container…

Dec 11, 2018
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monarch on butterfly weed

Monarchs making a comeback in WNY; see more in the POLLINATOR

by Connie Oswald Stofko The bad news is that the number of monarch butterflies has been decreasing in the past 20 years. Monarchs may be given protection under the Endangered Species Act in 2019. The good news is that the number of monarchs in Western New York appears to be on the upswing. You can find out more in the very first issue of the POLLINATOR, a new publication produced by the Pollinator Conservation Association. To subscribe to the POLLINATOR for free,…

Dec 11, 2018
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snow and Autumn leaves in Amherst NY

New tool helps you understand climate change in your garden

by Connie Oswald Stofko Find out how climate change is affecting your garden through a new online tool that provides county-level information on how the climate has changed since 1950 and what you can expect in the future. Called Climate Change in Your County, the tool was launched recently by the Cornell Institute for Climate Smart Solutions. It tracks average annual temperatures, high and low temperature trends, length of growing season and annual growing degree days. It also offers precipitation trends and…

Dec 4, 2018
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Saturday, Mar 23, 2019 - Sunday, Mar 24, 2019 | 9:30 am - 4:00 pm

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